Stereo Kodak Model 1 (1917 - 1925)

This camera was introduced in April 1917 and discontinued in May 1925. In the video you see the first model from 1917 - 1918 with Stereo Automatic shutter. From 1919 the camera had a Stereo Ball Bearing shutter.
The Stereo Kodak Model 1 is a special purpose camera of high quality, 90 years old and not seen so very often.

Special purpose: it takes 3D pictures. Two photos are taken on the same moment, that is why it has two lenses and shutters. The printed photos are mounted on a card and when you view them in a stereo viewer you see good depth in the scene. I think that is rather cool for a camera of World War 1 vintage. See also the No. 2 Stereo Brownie and No. 2 Stereo Kodak.

High quality: it is made with good quality materials, the leather is fine and the nickel plating is heavy. Most of these cameras have survived in a surprisingly good condition. The price of the 1919-1925 version was $ 53, not cheap for that time. An average industry worker in the USA had to work 75 hours for that amount. The 1917-1918 model cost $ 45.

Instructions booklet of the 1917 version

Page from the 1917 catalog

Page from the Kodak 1917 catalog

The camera also has a nicety that made possible to get better photos. There is a key on the side, next to one shutter (if you look into the camere from the front, it is on the left side). When you turn this key, the lens panel moves up. With this you can photograph higher buildings without distortion. With a usual camera you have to aim it upwards, with the effect that the building on the photo seems to be falling backwards. See more about this on the 'Elements in motion' section. It also helped to get rid of an uninteresting foreground.

90 years old: The first version was introduced in April 1917 and replaced by the second version from 1919. The camera was discontinued in May 1925.

Not often seen: production numbers are not known. The camera is not really rare, but on the other hand it is not seen so very often. I guess that you should be able to find one on eBay within a year. Taking into calculation that it was expensive, that there were cheapers alternatives, that it was a special purpose camera, I would guess that at best a few thousand were made. But that is nothing more than a wild guess.

The camera took 101 size film on spools. This film is 3.5 inch wide. It was introduced in 1895 for the No. 2 Bullet (also Kodak) camera and discontinued in 1956.